The Portland Press Herald / The Maine Sunday Telegram

February 17

Task force will explore noise issues in Portland

PORTLAND — A new city task force will spend the next four months exploring options for turning down the volume on nightlife noise.

The City Council is expected to appoint the seven-person task force formally at tonight’s regular meeting.

The group, which includes business owners, residents, musicians and police will consider plans for mitigating noise from nightclubs and bars ranging from adjusting decibel limits in the city code to amending the noise complaint process and installing sound muffling equipment such as a glass canopy over areas like Wharf Street.

“I think we can do it,” said City Councilor Dory Waxman, who selected the committee. “It will just take some compromise on both sides.”

Waxman said the task force will meet twice a month starting in March and will present a report to the council by June.

The Public Safety Committee has been considering options for dealing with noise complaints from local businesses since last fall. But some business owners claim the city’s existing noise limits are unenforceable. Zoning rules in the Old Port limit noise to 60 decibels – 55 decibels after 9 p.m.

Doug Fuss, owner of Bull Feeney’s and a task force member, said both businesses and residents want a solution that works.

“It’s a complicated issue because of the complexity of the constituents involved who seemingly have competing agendas,” Fuss said. “But the reality is they are existing in the city for the same reason. We’re all attracted to the city’s vibrancy.”

Fuss, who served on the Nightlife Task Force and Business Diversity Task Force, said the success of the group will depend on whether participants have an open mind.

Last summer, consultants hired by the city found noise levels far above the limits. SE Ambrose & Associates measured noise at 93 decibels outside the Oasis, which has outdoor music, and 83 decibels at 51 Wharf, which had music inside. The consultants originally presented the idea of installing a glass canopy, which is used in cities such as Montreal.

Along with changing the noise limits, the task force will also consider changing the building code or requiring noise disclosure statements from landlords.

Waxman said they will look at how similar towns, such as Burlington, Vt., and Charlottesville, Va., deal with noise issues.

Robert Sylvain of the band Boreal Tordu, another appointee to the task force, said he’s looking forward to hearing concerns from different businesses and other residents. As a musician, sound engineer and father of three who lives near a music club, Sylvain said he has a unique perspective to bring to the task force. He said he believes music plays a role in keeping a city alive and vibrant, and thinks others may agree.

“I don’t think anyone wants to see Portland usher in the day the music died,” Sylvain said.

Staff Writer Justin Ellis can be contacted at 791-6380 or at jellis@pressherald.com